Ship construction



2 Sheets-Shee l w. F. FLETCHER SHIP CONSTRUCTION Filed March 14, 1929April is, 1931.

INVENTOR LUAN. F. FLETCHER April 28, 1931. w FLETCHER 1,803,105

SHIP CONSTRUCTION Filed March 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN'IOBWELUAM-EFLETCHER BY G ATTORNE 15 anism at the stern.

Patented Apr. 28, 1931 PATENT orries.

WILLIAM F. FLEroHnaoF MONTREAL, QUEBEC; CANADA i 3 SHIP CONSTRUCTIONApplication filed March 14, 1929, Serial no.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in shipconstruction and -particularly .to ships for carrying loose cargo suchas coal, grain and the like and the object of the invention is toprovide a ship so constructed that. the cargo will be quickly dischargedwith the minimum amount of labour.

Another object is to provide a cargo carrying vessel which will havemeans to control the discharge of cargo from any part oft-he hold.

According to my invention I provide a vessel having conveyor controllingmechanism at the bow end and the propelling mech- Between the conveyorcontrol space and the engine room a series of holds are provided. Theseholds communicate. with one another and are provided with a plurality ofhoppers at their bottoms.

1 These hoppers are spaced on each side of the centre line and a workingtunnel is provided therebetween extending the full length of the vesselto provide an inspection space and controlling means are mounted in thetunnels to control the opening of the hopper bottoms.

The hoppers discharge on to a conveyor which carries the cargo forwardlyon to aseries of elevating conveyors which discharge the cargo over thesides of the vessel. The holds are of peculiar construction as the sidesof the hopper provide one side of the ballast tanks and the root of theinspection or working tunnel.

In the drawings which illustrate one form of my invention;

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved cargo carrying vessel.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the vessel shown in Figure 1.

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the vessel taken on theline 3-3 Figure 2 Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11designates the hull of the vessel, 12 the bow, and 13 the stern. Thepropelling mechanism 141, boilers 15, and crew accommodation 16, arepositioned at the stern. The crews quarters 17, and the bridge or wheelhouse 18 are positioned at the bow. Between the bow and the stern arethe holds 19, 20, 21 and 22, which may be separated by.

tend intothe tunnel.

347,136, and in Canada January 16,1929.d

suitable partitions. Theholds are built in the manner disclosed inFigure '3. The bottom 23 of the hull is ofitlie fiat type extending thefull length of the hold and midway between the sides is the workingtunnel 24. The roof 25 of the tunnel is of the peakitype with. each sideprojecting beyondthe walls 26 of the tunnel to form one side of thehoppers into which the bottom of thehold ,is divided.Water'loal'lasttanks 27 are formed on each side'of the vessel. The top'plates 28 of the said. tanks slope'downwardly from the sides of the shipand beyond the inner vertical wall 29 of the tanks. The upper edge 30 ofthe tank plates are spaced TlOHIillQ upper edge 31 of the hullplates,and are secured thereto by any suitable means. The walls of thetunnel the inner vertical walls of the tanks are spaced from one another and form chann'elsfila on each side of the tunnel,saidchannelsfextendingthe full length ot the hold. Suitablebracingplates and angles 32 are positioned between the up per ed eofthewater tanks and the upper lates 33 supedge of the hull plates. Deckp ported on angle and platebrackets 34 are provided. StiEening plates 35extendf'between'the bottom of the tunnel roo'fi plates and thetop platesofthe ballast tanks. These plates are arranged as shown in Figure 1,that is,. they slope downwardly towards the bow or the stern of the.vessel, so that the cargo is directed towards the channels. Suitablevalves 35a shown diagrammatically in 'Figure 1 are provided ineaclrhopper bottom for controlling the movement of the cargo through thehopper. bottom. T'hese valvesare controlled by handles '36 which e2"- 7Belt conveyors 37. are mounted in the channels to receive the cargodischarges through the valves. Theseconveyors extend the tullilength ofthe hold and are adapted to discharge the cargo on to second set of beltconveyors 38 positioned at the bow end. The belt conveyors 38 areprovided with discharge'chutes 39 which guide the cargo towards a hopper40 within which is mounted a vertically disposed bucket conveyorj il.The bucket conveyor is adapted to discharge' the cargo on to'a swingingconveyor 42 above the deck level. The conveyor 42 is positioned on thecentral longitudinal axis of the ship when not in use and 7 last tanksmay be provided with stifl'eners or diaphragms 44. The usual hatchyorhold openings 45 are provided and suitable covers 46 are detachablysecured thereto by any suitable means to protect the cargo. Inoperation; the hatch covers are removed and the holds are filled withgranulous material, coal or the like. Each of the holds is provided 7with a plurality of cargo discharging hoplit) pers each controlledbysuitable valve mechanism operated from the 'working tunnel. To unloadthe vessel the hopper valves are opened and the sloping sidesvof thehopper bottoms discharge the cargo on to the conveyors positionedin thechannels, on each side of the tunnel. These conveyors carry the cargoforwardly and the cargo is lifted Y and discharged over the side of thevessel by the other conveyors positioned atthebow end. The workingtunnels alloweasy inspection of the conveyors and also allow theoperator to move from one end of the hold to the other to control thedischarge of the cargo from any desired part of the hold. It will beseen that the holds can communicate with one another as there is nofixed bulk head or diaphragms secured to the sides of the hold andextending from top to bottom thereof as in the usual types of vessel ofthis type. The cargo is discharged from this vessel with the minimumamount of handling and without the aid of wharf cranes, transporters orthe like.

Having I claim is: I

1. Ina ship construction, a hull having transversely extending bulkheadsin proximity to the bow and stern and forming a hold space therebetween,a working tunnel located centrally of the hold space and coextensive inlength therewith, said tunnel including opthus described my invention,what posed side walls, ballast tanks arranged at opposite sides of thetunnel and spaced therefrom, and including vertical walls forming withthe adjacent walls of said tunnel, longitudinally disposed channelscoextensive in length with the latter, hoppers supported by said tunneland tanks above said channels and having discharge openings in thebottom thereof, and valves controlling said openings and controlled fromwithin said tunnel.

2. In a ship construction, a hull having transversely extendingbulkheads in proximity to the bow and'stern and forming a hold spacetherebetween,a working tunnel located centrally of the hold space andextending throughout the length thereof, said tunnel including opposedside walls, and oppositely inclined roof sections, ballast tanksarranged at opposite sides of the tunnel and spaced therefrom todefinelongitudinally disposed channels by the intervening spaces therebetween,each ballast tank including a vertical wall forming part of the adjacentchannel, and an inclined top wall, said roof sections of the tunnel,andtop walls of said ballast tanks being extended beyond the walls of theirrespective structures and into the adjacent tunnel to form part of ahopper arranged above said channels, and hopper forming plates arrangedbetween the roof sections of the tunnel and'the inclined wall of saidtanks and cooperating therewith to complete said hoppers, said hoppershaving discharge openings in the bottom thereof, and valves controllingsaid openings and operable from within the tunnel.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM F. FLETCHER.

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